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The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced criminal charges against the former Olympic athlete for vandalizing the Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.
At a press conference Thursday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro accused boater David Hearn, 67, of intentionally damaging the pond.
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“Today, the grand jury returned the defendant, David Hearn, with a charge of vandalism, which he faces up to 10 years in prison,” said Pirro, a Trump appointee.
He called the destruction of national monuments “one of the most disgusting scenes” he had ever seen.
Pirro said: “The wanton destruction and disruption of society turns into criminal behavior, which is why we are here today. They are insulting the dignity of our shared history.”
But in an interview with the media, Mr. Hearn refused to spoil anything, saying that, like most Americans, he was just curious about the Reflecting Pool when he visited it on June 19.
The Reflecting Pool was the subject of a renovation project that Trump began in April, as part of a larger plan to revitalize Washington, DC, through construction and maintenance projects.
Trump awarded an unconventional contract to a company to seal and restore the granite pool in a color he called “American blue”. But observers noticed that, as soon as the pool reopened in early June, it experienced an algae bloom, and the blue paint began to peel from the bottom.
After being criticized for the $13.1m renovation contract, Mr Trump claimed that vandals had destroyed the Reflecting Pool.
At least seven people, including Hearn, have been arrested on suspicion of causing injuries at the bottom of the blue-painted pool.
Hearn has maintained his innocence. He is said to have been cycling near the Reflecting Pool when he stopped to look at the peeling paint, and reached into the water to hear it. He refuses to remove any part of the pool.
Pirro, however, described a different scenario. He said National Park Service staff saw Hearn “pulling hard and violently off the ground with both hands”, destroying about 2 square meters – or about 0.18 square meters – of seal water.
“The parks worker told Hearn to stop his behavior and stop what he was doing. He was heard yelling at the parks worker,” Pirro said.
Reporters confronted Pirro with questions about whether charging Hearn with a crime was out of bounds, since similar crimes are considered misdemeanors.
A reporter asked Pirro if his decision to face criminal charges was influenced by Trump, who posted on Truth Social that 10 years in prison should “total pressure” for each Reflecting Pool damage attempt.
Pirro responded: “I didn’t make a charge of cruelty. He also said that Hearn spent more than $1,000, which led to a felony charge.
He also refused to compare it with the millions of dollars lost by Trump’s supporters during the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Almost all of the accused were pardoned on the first day of Trump’s second term.
“Are you really talking about January 6? I’m not,” Pirro told a reporter. Hearn’s trial is scheduled for July 9.
On Thursday, preparations for the July 4 fireworks display began at the Reflecting Pool, with large nets spread throughout the building.
According to a police officer at the site, the nets are to catch debris that may fall into the pond during the show. The site remains closed to visitors.
However, many have come to visit the pool and witness the controversial renovation for themselves.
Brian Williams, a 31-year-old from Roscoe, Georgia, praised Trump for his efforts to beautify the city. He said that algae is normal in a pond filled with still water in the summer.
“I don’t think people have any business destroying anything,” Williams said. “If you have something you don’t like about the president, don’t put it out there in the public pool.”
But others are more skeptical of Trump’s claims. Jon Delgado, a 40-year-old Navy veteran from Collierville, Tennessee, was dismayed to see the Reflecting Pool in its current state.
“I came here with my wife and my family to show them the beauty of America, the spirit of what we fought for,” he said. “To see it thrown away like that, it just makes me angry.”
Delgado called Trump’s objections to land damage at the site “absolutely crazy”.
“We have to ask ourselves: “Where we are, in America, do we believe in things like this? You can see for yourself: this thing has pool debris, and it stinks. There is no waste,” he said.
